Finding a Home at Trent

“Never would I have thought that a school as small as Trent could be as diverse as it is,” he says. “I can spend hours on campus and never get bored of it. The small atmosphere here coincides perfectly with the small town feeling of Peterborough. It always feels like the campus doesn’t end at Trent’s entrance but extends into the heart of Peterborough’s downtown core.”

Mr. Smith came to Trent in 2006 from Loyalist College where he spent two years between high school and starting university. A native of Ottawa, he experienced a little culture shock at first. “It was an adjustment, coming from Ottawa to a small town,” he says. “But Trent provided a more than welcoming residence atmosphere and the opportunity to establish life-long friendships.”

Mr. Smith’s decision to come to Trent University was a relatively easy one. He knew that Trent’s small campus could offer him something other universities would never be able to. “In a small intimate setting, professors have better availability and there is more one on one support offered from faculty and staff,” he explains. “You can’t even begin to compare the campus atmosphere to other schools. Trent has not only lived up to my expectations, it’s exceeded them.”

Getting Involved and Making a Difference

Since coming to study at Trent, Mr. Smith has made big efforts to become part of the Trent and Peterborough community. He works for the Advancement Office as a student team leader, and takes advantage of the social benefits working on campus can offer. “I have established some incredible relationships through employment on campus,” he says. “Being employed by Trent means I often find myself helping out with various on-campus activities.”

The project he is currently most passionate about is the Trent chapter of Relay for Life he is organizing. The cause is close to his heart: “it’s something that has hit close to home too many times for me,” he says, explaining how Relay for Life is an amazing Canadian Cancer Society event that raises money to support research for better treatment and a cure.

His first major task as organizer was assigning an executive planning committee, which proved difficult because of overwhelming interest from Trent students. Now with a committee in place and members assigned to different planning aspects, Mr. Smith can take on the challenge of organizing logistics and a budget.

“There are so many aspects to the event, and it can be a little overwhelming at times, but once it comes together it will be very rewarding.”

While his attention is currently occupied with organizing the Relay, which will take place in March, he is looking forward to pursing a Masters of Science in occupational therapy and working as an occupational therapist before eventually completing a Ph.D. His other goal is to see the Trent Relay for Life continue as a legacy at Trent.

“Trent has given me the opportunity to excel in my field and realize that I am good at things I had never even considered before. So many more doors have been opened for me than I ever thought possible.”

Questions about the Trent Relay for Life can be sent to trentrelay@gmail.com

This story is featured in the February 2009 issue of Focus Trent. To read the complete issue, visit the publications website.